A Second Helping Of…Demaryius Thomas

Each week we’ll bring you an extra look at a player the Broncos used in a creative or interesting way during the previous game. This week, we’re getting a 2nd plate of Demaryius Thomas.

Sometimes you have to take pleasure in your own fatuity, inanity, and outright asininity, even while trying to hide it from the world with multi-syllabic adverbs. As Grandpappy used to say to me, “Son, you’re just plumb stupid, so face up to it.”

As I admitted yesterday, I was not a fan of the Broncos drafting Demaryius Thomas in the 2010 Draft. I thought the Broncos had other more pressing needs. I had been advocating that they take Mike Iupati or Maurkice Pouncey. Even as other Broncos fans began to warm up to the 6-3, 230 lb. wideout from Georgia Tech, I sat back and proclaimed that he couldn’t run routes. Even as reports out of training camp had Thomas dominating in drills, I said he was simply a big guy who could only run fast.

Color me crazy. I was way off base.

Perhaps I should have known better. After Thomas met Rod Smith and spent time with the Broncos great, Thomas said:

“He helped me out a lot, actually. Just some of the stuff that he told me he did and would help me out and I tried it today and it did help. It was basically getting off the line and getting off press and using my body and using my shoulders, something I never did before.”

Outside of Brandon Marshall, anyone that spends any significant time with Rod Smith will eventually end up two things: 1) A bad-ass wide receiver 2) A hard worker

So it shouldn’t have surprised me yesterday when the Broncos threw Thomas his first pass—a wide receiver screen—that immediately put to rest any notion that the Broncos are worse off without Brandon Marshall. In what seemed like only a few seconds, Thomas took the play 19 yards. Thomas, if you didn’t notice, is a whole lot faster than Marshall.

What was more surprising, however, was that on the very next play Thomas ran an almost-perfect comeback route for 20 yards. On the route, he sunk his shoulders smoothly, planted quickly, and got great separation from the defensive back. This is the sort of route that it took Marshall three years to run properly. Some would argue (including myself) that Marshall still runs this route poorly. Later in the game, Orton hit Thomas with a 21-yard touchdown. On the play, Thomas used his hands like an old pro. Seahawks CB Kelly Jennings fell to the ground like a rag doll. Thomas didn’t appear a rookie on Sunday.

It’s certainly early. The Broncos will be facing four good defenses in the next four weeks. However, today, with Eddie Royal on pace to best his rookie-year reception totals, Brandon Lloyd averaging over 21 yards per catch, and Jabar Gaffney just getting warmed up, adding Thomas to this mix just made the Broncos a whole lot more dangerous. That’s a 4-wide receiver set that can give any team trouble. Thomas could by year’s end be the best of the bunch. And with Knowshon Moreno likely to best his rookie totals in receiving yards, this Broncos offense is going to have a lot of weapons to choose from.

After Thomas scored his touchdown, he walked over to the stands and began slapping hands with Broncos fans, who were going crazy. I don’t know if Rod Smith taught him to do that, but it’s the kind of thing Smith would have done, and it’s the kind of thing that will endear Thomas to Broncos fans immediately.

Thomas should get used to it, though. From what we saw on Sunday, he’s going to be getting into the end zone a few more times this year.

I love this whole thing. The pick, the way it was made, and the talent that he has - heavy on the last one. He&#8217s also going to get a Broncology quickly - his life story puts most folks to shame, and he seems humble and genuine. Great decision to get him, and it&#8217s only his first game.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2010-09-23 03:35:25

Dude, I tried to tell you this kid was good in Camp. Just you wait, he has more tricks to show us. <img alt="cool smile" height="19" src="http://www.singernet.com/images/smileys/shade_smile.gif" style="border:0;" width="19">

Posted by KaptainKirk on 2010-09-22 18:15:29

88> 15

Take that any way you interpret it&#8230

Posted by SobchakBronco on 2010-09-21 21:24:57

Orton and Double-Orton. Love the 8 and 88.

Posted by HarvJNep2n on 2010-09-21 04:04:57

I&#8217ve had your experience with regard to the way that McD drafts. Last year I hoped for Unger or Mack and Oher or Maaualuga. Moreno and Ayers were surprises to me.

This year I hoped for Pouncey or Walton (lacking Unger or Mack last year)and Bulaga or Iupati or Cody.

Obviously, I don&#8217t have all of the information that he has and I haven&#8217t been especially disapointed with the choices made (I still think Alphonso Smith will turn out to be a good CB in the NFL).

We&#8217ll see how his choices work out. I did have Thomas on my radar (didn&#8217t think WR, even without Marshall, was as big a need as, say, NT and OL). Tebow is, IMO, his biggest gamble to date, but given his track record with QB&#8217s, I&#8217m going to wait and see.

He obviously has more criteria than the MSM has and picks up picks that he thinks will thrive under his systems.

And offense has been a high priority; but defense will probably get it&#8217s due. It looks like this next year will have some quality DL including DT&#8217s, which I think is an extremely important position.

We&#8217ll see how it plays out.

By the way, I&#8217ve bee moving again and have just gotten settled enough to start communicating again.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2010-09-21 03:22:08

re: Pouncey and Iupati. We got the best OL in the draft in JD Walton. You heard it here first. I just love watching him.

Posted by bradley on 2010-09-20 23:59:18

I was shocked at how effective he was in his first game and amazed at his route running. He is so much more polished than I expected. If Rod Smith has had this kind of influence, let&#8217s make him WR consultant in perpetuity. He could become our best wide receiver this year, which given the talent I&#8217ve seen so far is remarkable.

Posted by Ponderosa on 2010-09-20 23:44:07

Jason, yeah, probably, so. I think it could have been called, but then again, Mike Irvin could have been called each and every play <img alt="grin" height="19" src="http://www.singernet.com/images/smileys/grin.gif" style="border:0;" width="19">

Posted by TJ Johnson on 2010-09-20 20:08:21

...and not only does he appear faster than BM, but he also seems to understand that going downhill to the sticks is more important than trying to channel Barry Sanders at the expense of practical yardage and the first down. BM always got a free pass for all the yardage he left on the field.

I was also glad to see how genuinely happy D.T.&#8216s teammates seemed for him. That speaks of a guy who&#8217s hard work has earned the locker room&#8217s collective respect, which is always a good sign.

Posted by Drewthorn on 2010-09-20 19:43:33

On that TD, was it illegal for him to push the CB down? It didn&#8217t seem like he made a lot of contact, but the guy did fall over. I coudn&#8217t tell if it was because he was flat footed and tried to react to the throw, or if the small push from DT made him collapse.

I mean, there wasn&#8217t a flag, and I&#8217ll take that all day, but did the ref&#8217s miss something?

Posted by Jason Witte on 2010-09-20 19:29:41

One of my favorite things following his TD also was his lack of an over-emphatic spike or acting like he&#8217s in a Mr. Olympia contest.